I've been in NYC for the past three days trying to rent my Union Square apartment. When I arrived in the city, the sites and smells filled me with euphoria. I love the bustling streets, the incredible array of well priced and delicious food, the shopping deals! When I lived in Manhattan, I always had somewhere important that I was going, with people I adored. But as a visitor, after a few days wandering in the city night alone, I began to feel trapped by the concrete jungle.
"It's one big shopping mall," my sister said to me over $10 salads. I told her she couldn't have the extra avocado because I wanted to pay and couldn't do a $25 lunch.
"I know," I told her. "I feel like every time I step out the door of my apartment I am spending money. A taxi, the subway, bottled water, internet access, a magazine, a homeless guy, a pair of designer shoes on sale for one-day-only."
My sister groaned the familiar actress/waitress groan heard around the city.
"Just do what I do. Don't go out. Don't leave your teeny little apartment. Don't even open the window. And if you have to leave, just look down until you get to work."
That explained a lot about my sister.
My sexy, fun and fabulous former city has paled in the reality of my financial situation. Surely I haven't forgotten how to enjoy a city without spending any money. Surely.
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